Refrigerated lunch box



Nov. 10, 1964 w. E. BAHNER REFRIGERATED LUNCH BOX 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 9, 1965 W/ May/n f. Bar/706w INVENTOR. M Q i/ a" Nov. 10, 1964 w, BAHNER 3,156,105

REFRIGERATED LUNCH BOX Filed Aug. 9, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W//u/v7 E. fla/rner INVENTOR.

BWM 04/871111 United States Patent 3,156,105 REFRIGERATED LUNCH BOX Wilhurn E. Bahner, 1121 W. Drew, Houston, Tex. Filed Aug. 9, 1963, Ser. No. 301,162 3 Claims. (Cl. 62371) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a refrigerated lunch box.

It is an object of this invention to provide a lunch box in which the contents may be maintained at a low temperature to preserve the perishable matter and to provide a more palatable lunch during hot weather.

Lunch boxes as are now known to the market provide means for carrying the lunch only, and those olfering refrigerated boxes, employe containers of ice that occupy much of the storage space in the box and in contact with the contents where condensation endangers the lunch. It is an object of this invention to provide a lunch box having the refrigerating unit spaced from the contents and with means for preventing contact with condensation and thus preserving the lunch.

It is another object of the invention to provide a novel lunch box having means for carrying a container, such as a thermos bottle, where it may be used without the necessity of opening the box and thus losing refrigeration.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention has relation to certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts more particularly defined in the following specifications and illustrated in the accompany ing drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the box, with the thermos bottle attached.

FIGURE 2 is an end view taken on the line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective elevational view of the thermos bottle holder detached from the box.

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of the thermos carrier receiving means and the flexible alternate handle.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective elevational 'view of the box, with the lid in open position.

FIGURE 6 is a cross sectional view of the box, taken on the line 6-6 of FIGURE 5, and

FIGURE 7 is a perspective elevational view or" the refrigerating unit.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a container of any desired shape, preferably formed of aluminum, having an insulating liner 2, such as Thurane, manufactured by Dow Chemical Company, and which is confined on the inside of the box with a suitable covering material, such as light plastic, 3, and the sides and the bottom of the container having ribs 4, 4 between the insulating material and the cover 3.

The lid 5 is hinged to the container 1 and is constructed in the same manner as the container 1. Suitable latches 6, 6 are provided to lock the lid in closed position. Flat, flexible semi-annular members 7, 7 form a handle and are anchored at their respective ends to the lid 5. These members 7, 7 lie fiat on the top of the box, ready for use as handles if desired. Tubular members, forming sockets 8, 8, are mounted on the lid 5 between the anchored ends of the handles 7, 7.

A thermos carrier is formed of Wire and members 9, 9, which are joined at their lower, laterally extending, ends, 10, by means of the plates 11, 11. The members 9, 9

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are semi-annular and at their upper ends are formed to provide the legs 12, 12, which extend upwardly forming a shoulder and then converge inwardly and are anchored to the grips 13, 13. A keeper 14 is provided with the slots 15, 15 through which the upper ends of the legs 12, 12 extend. When the thermos bottle, as 16, is to be mounted on the lid 5, the laterally extended lower ends are mounted in the sockets 8, 8 and the bottle 16 mounted in the loops formed by the members 9, 9, the grips 13, 13 pressed together and the keeper 14 moved downwardly so that the shoulders on the legs 12, 12 bear against the ends of the slots 15, 15 and the device is carried by the grips 13. To release the bottle, the keeper is moved upwardly, allowing the members 9, 9 to spread apart, and the bottle removed.

Mounted in the inside portion of the lid 5 is the refrigerated unit 17 which is a sealed container, in which water or other suitable refrigerant is stored. Integral fins 18 are formed on one longitudinal face of the unit 17 to increase the area of the refrigerating unit. The unit 17 is removably mounted in the lid and is maintained in position by the holder 19, which is hinged as at 20 to the lid 5 and secured by a spring clasp 21.

When it is desired to refrigerate the container 1, the unit 17 is removed from the lid and stored in the freezing compartment of a home refrigerator, or the like, and when the contents of the unit 17 are frozen, the unit is again mounted in the lid 5, and the lid closed and latched, the gasket 22 sealing the lid on the container. The thermos bottle is then mounted as hereinabove described, and the contents may be consumed without the necessity of opening the container 1. Any condensation that may form in the container 1 will flow down the walls of the container, the ribs 4 maintaining the contents of the container 1 spaced away from the walls and the bottom of the container.

While the foregoing is considered a preferred form of the invention, it is by way of illustration only, the broad principle of the invention being defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a refrigerator lunch box, a container, a hinged lid on said container, an insulation lining on the inner walls of the container, a cover over said insulation, ribs on the side Walls and bottom of the inside of said container and a unit holder pivotally mounted in said lid, 21 refrigerating unit maintained in position in said lid by said holder and a spring latch releasably maintaining said holder in latched position.

2. In a lunch box thermos bottle holder for lunch containers, a hinged lid on said container, a pair of sockets mounted on said lid, semi-annular wire thermos bottle receiving members mountable in said sockets, one end of said members extending laterally for mounting in said sockets and the other ends having grips attached thereto, latch means adjacent said grips movable into one position to permit expansion of said thermos bottle receiving members to release a thermos bottle mountable therein, and movable into another position to compress said bottle receiving members to retain a thermos bottle.

3. In a lunch box thermos bottle holder for use on a lunch container, a hinged lid on said container, tubular members forming sockets mounted on said lid, thermos bottle receiving members mountable in said sockets, at

3 4 one end, and having grip members mounted on the other 2,393,245 1/46 Hadsell 62--372 ends, means for expanding and contracting said members 2,457,043 12/48 Histand 62- 159 XR to receive and release a thermos bottle, and flexible sem 2,504,911 4/50 Whitecar 62-457 annular members mounted on said lid to be mp y as 2,632,311 3/53 Sullivan 62-371 handles when said bottle receiving members are not in 5 2 7 5 7 55 Prue XR 2,781,960 2/57 Dick 215-400 XR Reference-S Cited y the Examine! 2 957 59 10 0 Rehborg 5 1 UNITED STATES PATENTS 751,168 2M4 Hadley 62*371 XR 10 ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner. 1,583,920 5/26 Freeland 2064 EDWARD J. MICHAEL, Examiner. 

1. IN A REFRIGERATOR LUNCH BOX, A CONTAINER, A HINGED LID ON SAID CONTAINER, AN INSULATION LINING ON THE INNER WALLS OF THE CONTAINER, A COVER OVER SAID INSULATION, RIBS ON THE SIDE WALLS AND BOTTOM OF THE INSIDE OF SAID CONTAINER AND A UNIT HOLDER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED IN SAID LID, A REFRIGERATING UNIT MAINTAINED IN POSITION IN SAID LID BY SAID HOLDER AND A SPRING LATCH RELEASABLY MAINTAINING SAID HOLDER IN LATCHED POSITION. 